Lacking and yet, Endearing

This is the body of which we are a small part.

Our Experience (what you can't read on wikipedia)

For me personally, I didn't always love joining this body. I found many inconvenient things to complain about, guilty of that awful 'what's in this for me'? attitude. But we stuck it out, I slowly realigned my perspective, and consequentially we have been blessed by many friendships and the truest Christian fellowship. 

Our family and another Chinese-American couple are the only foreigners who call the South Church home. We have been warmly welcomed and found a few ways to serve. Drew now leads a bilingual study of Acts on Saturday noon, then takes the role of planner, tech man, and discussion group facilitator at a group for faith-seekers in the afternoon. (So he's gone Saturdays 11 - 6pm.) Someone was moved to write an article about Drew and another brother because of their service! Well done Drewy.

On Sunday mornings there is no childcare, so one of us stays with the kids and the other joins the main service, switching off every week. It's such a rich experience and a challenge to sing hymns, read Scripture and listen to the sermon in Chinese! Staying with the kids is equally as beneficial, connecting with other grandparents and parents. Just this morning I had the most meaningful conversation with a 26 year-old recently divorced mother of a 4 year-old boy. Furthermore, the lay Sunday school teachers usually invite us to tell a Bible story to the huddle of teenagers.

The Basics (stats and facts)

Changsha has a population of 7 million people and 3 legal places for Christians to gather. This one is called the South Church, and I can write about it freely here, because again, it's legal.

The South Church is a protestant body associated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). There was a period of time when any religion was suppressed in mainland China. Following that period, the TSPM called for the establishment of a self-supporting, self-governing, self-propagating church. On a macro-level, it is regulated by the secular central government. In our experience, on the ground, this particular body is led by pastors and lay leaders of genuine faith in Christ. 

(The issue of religious freedom and the church in China is complex and many Westerners hold an outdated and misinformed perspective; may I suggest serious research before drawing any conclusions?)

• reportedly 2,000 members at this church, most involved only by attending the Sunday morning service; majority demographic is retired women
• baptism services held twice every year, a few dozen people (all adults) baptized each time
• four pastors, two men and two women, shoulder a huge load
• many deacons, men and women, offer their service
• a few prayer meetings and a young adult meeting are held on various days of the week
• the choir is a priority
• home visits to the sick and needy are well-organized
• a little bookstore inside the church sells Bibles to anyone
• Sunday school consists of a huddle of teenagers and a handful of little kids playing legos
• three services on Sunday morning feel liturgical

invocation song 

apostle's creed

hymn

pastoral prayer

announcements

welcome visitors

read psalm together

choir song

read another scripture passage together

sermon

hymn

lord's prayer

benediction

amen song

+communion once a month

(anthropologist's digression: at it's establishment, it seems the leaders failed to indigenize Chinese worship -- this looks exactly like a traditional Western protestant service! the only difference is the language spoken!)

Conclusion (if you only read once sentence, go for this one)

This body is obviously lacking in so many ways, but we are entirely endeared to it. There is much for which to give thanks, not the least that Father is honored and his words are spoken in Changsha.

South Church website here.

Winter and Summer Photos

The front entrance is tucked into a narrow alley near downtown Changsha.

Main hall on the 2nd floor.

Back side and outside, temporary structures have been erected for restrooms, service overflow, choir rooms, and Sunday school for older kids.

Inside the overflow room, the main hall service is shown on a projector screen.

Sometimes the overflow room is too full and people stand in the back or sit outside and listen.

Three ladies teach the older children and set toys out for little kids.

A sign on the exterior wall: love our country, love education, glorify God, benefit the people.

Continuing our fellowship, we swing by our friend's bookstore-coffeeshop for smoothies.
We eat flatbread lunch while waiting at the bus stop. In one hour we'll be home.